And yet another warning:

The number of counterfeit sweepstakes has risen dramatically over the past 90 days, according to the Better Business Bureau of West Michigan. These mailings usually come in the form of checks, and to claim the winnings, the recipient must send a processing fee. They, of course, never receive those supposed winnings.

The BBB has a few tips to avoid becoming a victim of these scams:

Never send money
Never send credit card information
Banks are not responsible for telling you if a check clears.

Better be safe than sorry, advises the Better Business Bureau, and to assume any winnings from a sweepstakes you never entered are fake.